RISK-FACTORS FOR ABDOMINAL AORTIC-ANEURYSMS IN OLDER ADULTS ENROLLED IN THE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH STUDY

B-mode ultrasound examinations of the abdominal aorta were performed f rom 1990 to 1992 to evaluate the prevalence of abdominal aortic aneury sm (AAA) in a subgroup of the Pittsburgh cohort (656 participants, age d 65 to 90 years) of the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). In this pi lot study, we evaluated various definitions of aneurysm and the reprod ucibility of the measurements. In year 5 (1992 to 1993) of the CHS, th e entire cohort (4741 participants) was examined. AAA was defined as a n infrarenal aortic diameter of greater than or equal to 3.0 cm, or a ratio of infrarenal to suprarenal diameter of greater than or equal to 1.2, or a history of AAA repair. For the entire CHS cohort, prevalenc e of aneurysms was 9.5% (451/4741) overall, with a prevalence among me n of 14.2% (278/ 1956) and prevalence among women of 6.2% (173/2785). Variables significantly related to AAA were older age; male sex; histo ry of angina, coronary heart disease, and myocardial infarction; lower ankle-arm blood pressure ratio; higher maximum carotid stenosis; grea ter intima-media thickness of the internal carotid artery; higher crea tinine; lower HDL levels and higher LDL levels; and cigarette smoking. The study has documented the strong association of cardiovascular ris k factors and measures of clinical and subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease and prevalence of aneurysms. We used a definit ion that is more sensitive than previously reported (diameter or ratio ), which allowed the detection of smaller aneurysms and possibly those at an earlier stage of development. Follow-up of this cohort may lead to new criteria for determining the risk factors for progression of a neurysms.